Art of Transliness — Hi, I bind using 100% cotton strips from an old woman’s stretchy tank top. Are these any worse(or better, I guess) than ace bandages? I can’t get anything else because of my living situations(not even the bandages). I usually fold it in half, wrap it around once, tie it tight at the back, wrap the extra length of cloth around under the first wrap, and safety pin it together. Any info on this besides general “it should be avoided because breathing” stuff? Any tips?

Answer

Hi, I bind using 100% cotton strips from an old woman's stretchy tank top. Are these any worse(or better, I guess) than ace bandages? I can't get anything else because of my living situations(not even the bandages). I usually fold it in half, wrap it around once, tie it tight at the back, wrap the extra length of cloth around under the first wrap, and safety pin it together. Any info on this besides general "it should be avoided because breathing" stuff? Any tips?

Anonymous asked

Zak: We’re not experts or medical professionals, so it’s tough to answer this questions. It sounds like it would be better than ace bandages though, because one thing that is dangerous about ace bandages is that they are designed to tighten with movement which can further restrict breathing and damage ribs. It sounds like you’re just using a homemade binder, which should be fine as long as you’re able to breathe comfortably.